Reflections
by Axenna
Summary: Set fourteen years in the future, Samantha Carter reflects on the events of the past.
1. Chapter 1

REFLECTIONS

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. They're not mine. I'm just playing with them.

Chapter One

Lately, Colonel Samantha Carter had been thinking about Doctor Janet Frasier, dead now for six years. All it had taken was one staff blast from the weapon of an enemy Jaffa, and down she had went It had all seemed so meaningless at the time, after all Janet had been out there saving the life of a young airman, one Simon Welles. He'd been an expectant father at the time, expecting a son as far as he knew. When his daughter had emerged mere weeks later, he'd been surprised, but delighted. It had been his idea to name the baby Janet. It seemed a fitting memorial to Doctor Frasier.

Carter hadn't thought of Janet in a long time, but, with the stress of the last few years, no relief apparent; she found her thoughts drifting back to the past, where Janet waited, no longer able to move ahead. There was also Cassandra or Cassie as she preferred to be called. She was a young woman now, working in a tiny antique bookshop in some tiny little town whose name Carter couldn't recall. That was Cassie, though. Ever since her mother had died Cassie had sought to disappear into the normal world, in fear that the same people who killed her mother might find her. Sam had remained in close contact with her over the years, despite the distance and their very different lifestyles. When Janet had adopted Cassie, she'd named Sam as the girl's godmother, and Sam had never shirked that responsibility. Cassie called her once a week without fail, and they met for holidays, always at Cassie's home. Losing her mother was an emotional and psychological scar that would never fully heal.

Colonel O'Neill. Jack. Jonathan. Sir. By whatever name she knew him, he had caused such upheaval in her life, for the last fourteen years. There hadn't been a single day in those fourteen years where he had not occupied her mind constantly, and it had nearly driven her mad with frustration. The situation had taken care of itself, in time.

A noise interrupted her thinking. A little girl, blonde and petite, ran in front of the chair upon which Sam had been lounging.

"Look Mommy."

The small girl held a model shuttle up for Sam's inspection. Sam oohed and ahhed over it appropriately, then sent the girl off to play.

"Don't go too far, Joli. Lunch will be ready soon."

As the girl ran off to play, Sam followed her with her eyes. How like her father Joli had become. Turning a corner, Joli disappeared around the side of the house, and Sam let her mind trail off into thought.

SIX YEARS AGO

It was late, and Daniel and Teal'c had retired for the night hours before, leaving General O'Neill and Major Carter alone by the pond. O'Neill sat languidly in his chair, line still in the water, hoping to catch something. He'd told them all many times that there were no fish in this pond, but had been proven wrong mere hours before.

They sat in silence, neither of them daring to speak of the subject that had brought them there. Jacob's death was still weighing heavily upon Sam, she felt as though she's lost two fathers that day, for Selmak had been the bridge that had brought the elder Carter back into her life. She felt as though she owed the Tok'ra, owed them far more than she could ever give back. Selmak's death cut into her like a sharp-edged knife, serving only to add to the pain of Jacob's death. She missed him already.

But that wasn't why they were there.

Jack's eyes still stared out onto the water, and his posture still appeared relaxed, but Sam could feel the tension within him. He would not speak first, she knew that.

"Jonathan."

His head snapped up. Nobody…_nobody_ called him Jonathan. In fact, the only place he could recall seeing his given name was on his birth certificate. To hear his name spoken from Sam's lips, well, it was enough to shock him, to put it mildly.

Slowly he turned to look at her. "Major?"

She shrugged. "I figured it was the best way to get your attention. Otherwise we'd have sat here all night not saying anything."

He grunted. "I'm OK with that."

"Really, sir?" Her eyebrows shot up. "So you asked me here so we could sit here all night, not speaking of the reason I'm really here?"

His posture shifted slightly.

_Ah-ha!_ She thought. _I've got you now, Colonel. You can't back out of this one._

There was a soft scrape as Jack drew his chair closer to hers.

"I was gonna let it go, you know. Move on with my life, and let you move on with yours. You could've married Pete, had the house and the dog like you always wanted, and I'd have been happy for you. I'd have danced at your wedding and been happy for you, and I was OK with that. But when I was with Kerry…" he trailed off.

She sat, quietly, letting him collect his thoughts. If she interrupted him now, it was very likely he would not finish.

He cleared his throat softly. "When I was with Kerry," he continued, "I tried to let it go, to just be happy being with her, but I couldn't do that. It didn't feel right. She was a beautiful woman, a beautiful _young_ woman, but she wasn't right. When I was there with her, when we were…" he coughed.

"When I was with her, when we were 'close,' I found myself thinking of someone else."

His eyes lifted to meet hers, and she found herself overwhelmed, swallowed in the depths of his deep brown eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, knowing what he would say next.

His eyes remained fixed on her face, drinking in her features; the soft wisps of blonde hair sweeping over her forehead, the large sapphire eyes peeking out from behind the pale hair. Her expression was of gentle anticipation, with a trace of fear.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Although he would have never let her realise it, Jack was inwardly trembling in fear. The words hovered on his lips, waiting to be spoken, for whatever consequence they would bring. There had never been this kind of pressure before.

Ah, hell with it.

"I was thinking of you, Sam. I was always thinking of you, and Kerry knew it. That's the real reason she broke off with me. She knew that she wasn't the one I was looking for."

The words hung in the air, waiting to be absorbed, realised. Jack found himself unable to look away from her,

Her lips trembled ever so slightly and, as the silence continued, Jack wondered if he had said the wrong thing. Maybe this was the wrong time; she was so overwhelmed still with the death of her father. Maybe he was pushing her, but damn it, he'd waited eight long years! He wasn't turning back now!

Still, in the brief moment before she spoke, he considered taking it back, shrugging it off as though it were nothing. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, she beat him to it.

"Jack…" it came out an abortive whisper, caught in her throat by emotion. "Don't do this to me. Don't tell me this if you don't…"

She broke off. A solitary tear rolled down her cheek. Swallowing deeply, she lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Sir…Jack. For the last eight years I kept myself reserved from you, telling myself that I could leave it alone and it would go away. When I met Pete, I thought it was my out. He was sweet, and charming, and seemed to really care about me. And I really tried to love him, Jack, but there was always something missing. It took until today for me to realise what it was."

She faced him squarely now. "I split up with Pete today, Jack. And you know what the worst part is? The worst part is that he knew. He knew all along that there was something else, someone else, in the way. But I couldn't do that to him anymore. So I made him go. Then I came to you. I came to tell you how I feel."

Her eyes closed briefly, a pained look crossing her face. When she opened them again, her face was set. Ever the military officer, Carter was ready for whatever the General threw at her.

In a gesture of softness she wouldn't have expected from him, the General gently took her hand. But this wasn't the General. Right now, he was Jack, and he loved her so desperately he was having trouble finding the words to tell her.

"Samantha." Her name slipped over his lips with a soft growl. She sighed gently, under her breath. It had been a long time since anybody had called her by her full name.

"Look at me," he said gently, slipping a large, callused hand under her chin and lifting it until her eyes met his.

"I have waited a long time to tell you this, and now that I'm being promoted, I'm close enough to be allowed." He paused, and then spoke again, his voice a low rumble. "I love you, Samantha Carter. I have for a very long time. You are always in my thoughts. Every time I think about losing you, I'm afraid. It took me a long time, but when you came to me and told me you were going to marry Pete, I knew that I couldn't let you go without letting you know how much I care about you."

Their faces were mere inches apart by this point; their breath mingled warmly in the cool night air. He ached to reach out and touch her, but dared not.

Her words were a whisper, a light breeze on his skin, music in his mind. Her voice had always been a sanctuary, a warm presence in his heart. Her voice had soothed him on many an occasion. When he had been Jonah, it was Thera's soft, gentle tones that calmed him in the night, helped him to find sleep when his mind was restless from a day of hard labour.

"I love you too, Jack. That's why I couldn't marry Pete. I love you so much."

That was all he needed to hear. With one hand, he lifted it to cup the side of her face, stroking his fingers over the smooth skin of her cheek. He read her features like a blind man, tracing gentle fingers along her jaw, feeling her soft hairs tickle his thumb as he stroked the small, delicate rim of her ear. She shivered slightly under his touch, a movement that sent a thrill thorough his entire body.

"Holy buckets, Carter, you don't know what you're doing to me," he growled.

Her large sapphire eyes were gentle, innocent as the gazed back at him.

"I have an idea, Sir." She trembled under his touch. For a moment he was surprised. This was Major Sam Carter, whom with he'd gone into battle, sometimes very certain that they would not come back, and she'd always come out swinging. Rarely had he seen Carter cry, she'd always had that stiff upper lip that made her seem so strong. Today had been the first time he'd really seen her fall apart. He'd been there, to hold and comfort her when she needed him, and when she'd thanked him for being there for her, he'd replied, with more emotion than he could hold back, "Always."

She inched her face closer to his now, her breath soft against his skin.

"Will you kiss me, Jack?"

He needed no urging. Lifting his other hand to cup her face, he brought his lips to hers, in a kiss so light she wasn't quite sure if she had imagined it or not.

"Jack…"

"No." He pressed a finger to her lips. "Samantha-" she shivered slightly at the sound of her name rolling over his lips "-don't say my name as though I'm your CO and you're my 2IC. I'm a man, Sam. I'm just a man who's been waiting the better part of eight years for you."

"Jack…"

This time is was a gentle sigh, a caress on his ears. It was the voice of the woman who would be his lover.

Cupping her face in his hands once again, he kissed her feverishly, urgently, all pretences of gentleness gone. This was Carter, for crying out loud, and she was here, in his arms, after all these years. He revelled in the feel of her lips against his, the sweet taste of her mouth. He grazed his fingers over her face as her arms came up to coil around him like velvety soft ropes. She felt his body harden against hers as his lips explored hers.

Questing, probing, he ran his tongue along the contours of her upper lip. She moaned softly against him and parted her lips to allow him access. He explored her mouth slowly, languorously, drinking in her scent, her taste. Slowly, hesitantly, she mimicked his actions, intertwining her tongue with his. A low growl escaped him as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer, crushing her body against his.

After what seemed an eternity, they slowly pulled apart.

"Jesus, Carter." He muttered. "It was certainly worth the wait. How do you do this to me?"

"It's a knack, Sir," she whispered, her old cockiness coming through.

He silenced her with a hard kiss. "No "sir". Not tonight..."

He stood, bringing her with him. She was shivering as he slipped an arm around her, drawing her close.

"Let's go inside, Sam."

She smiled up at him. "You know, I always liked hearing you call me 'Carter'. It's all you've called me for the last eight years."

He shrugged, then sobered. "You OK with this, Carter? Cause I don't do one-nighters."

She grimaced. "Oh, for crying out loud!" Pulling his face down to hers, she whispered, "Neither do I."

That was all Jack needed to hear. Hand in hand, they walked back to the cabin.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Darkness greeted them as Jack opened the door to the house, Sam tucked closely against his side. She nuzzled into him as he fumbled with the doorknob.

"Holy buckets, Carter," he managed. "You keep that up and we'll never get inside. At this rate we'll stay out here 'til morning. "

She laughed softly. "That'd be OK. At least we wouldn't have to worry about Daniel and Teal'c."

At that, Jack finally managed to ease the door open. A gentle squeak had them both tensing. That would be just what they needed, for Daniel or Teal'c to come out and see them like this. It wasn't as though they would have been surprised, true, but for now, that could wait.

Jack didn't risk turning on a single light as they stole through the house, careful not to bump into anything as they went. Down the hall they went, slipping like ghosts past the doors of the guest bedrooms. The unspoken verdict was that only two of the rooms would be occupied this night.

Only when they were safely in the master bedroom with the door closed firmly behind them did Sam and Jack breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief.

Sam giggled suddenly, a little-girl sound. "Why do I feel like a teenager, sneaking in through the back door?"

"You tell me." He brushed past her gently, reaching out to dim the lights. When he turned back to her, she had her arms wrapped around herself, as though she was cold. Jack walked back to her and pulled her into a strong embrace. She cuddled against him for warmth. She was trembling, ever so slightly, within the circle of his arms.

With a gentle motion, Jack cupped Sam's face in one hand, forcing her to look at him.

"Carter, you OK with this?"

It wasn't the question he'd intended to ask, but that was alright.

Her eyes were fixed on his, drinking in their warmth and … was that love? Love for her, shimmering brightly in his deep brown eyes.

She cleared her throat gently, then spoke in a voice so soft it was nearly a whisper. "I'm OK Sir … Jack."

She lowered her eyes. "To be honest, I'm a little scared. I guess I'd gotten used to the fact that after waiting eight years, all this would ever be is a dream, something I could hope for and fantasize about but never have. Now it's real, and I don't know what to do first. I'm about to break some serious regs here, and that scares me because I honestly don't care!" Her eyes were nearly purple in the muted light. They locked on his, twin suns burning into his soul. He could drown in those eyes...

She spoke again, and her voice was velvet-covered steel, strong with resolve. Jack felt a stirring deep inside. He liked this side of Carter, the ass-kicking, don't-mess-with-me soldier. He found himself watching her mouth, fascinated as she spoke. "Here I am. I'm about to make love to my CO, and I don't give a damn. I don't care about the rules and regs, or the consequences. I don't care if they demote me to airman and have me scrubbing toilets. It's worth it. I regret nothing"

He felt her hands on his back. Her fingers danced lightly over the smoothly muscled shirt-encased skin, each touch sending a shock through his entire system.

Jack looked down at her. Her skin glowed in the soft light, and her eyes seemed to glitter, mirroring the emotion within. How he wanted this woman. "I love you, Sam Carter, and I want nothing more right now than to make love to you."

Her eyes were challenging him. "Then do it."

His other hand came up to caress her other cheek. Cupping her delicate face in both hands, he kissed her deeply, probing her mouth with his tongue. She reciprocated in earnest, pressing her body against his and deepening the kiss. Her hands drifted down his back to settle on his rear. He did have a nice butt.

What followed was something beyond anything either of them had ever known. It was eight years of love and need releasing itself in the purest way possible.

"That was amazing."

For a moment he was silent. When he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion. "YOU are amazing, Sam. For crying out loud, I've been in love with you for eight years!" His gaze softened. This was a Jack O'Neill she's never seen before.

"And in all of those eight years, I could never have imagined it being like this."

Her eyes never left his. "You love me?"

He lay down, putting his arm around her and tucking her body in next to his. "Yeah, I do, Sam. And I've had it with these stupid regs keeping us apart. Screw the regs! I'll retire if I have to."

She raised an eyebrow, questioning.

"Kerry," he said, and she winced. He saw her expression change. "No, it's not like that. She's the one who told me to retire, so that I could finally be with you, like this."

She snuggled up nest to him. "I suppose I owe her, and Pete, too. He knew," she said, in response to his questioning glance. "He said he always knew, but he hoped that, when I accepted his proposal, I was leaving it – and you – behind. I couldn't … I can't."

She lifted herself slightly, to face him. "I love you, Jack O'Neill, and if you can't retire, then I will. This job isn't worth what it's costing us."

They lay silently for a moment, each pondering what the other had said. Then, without speaking, they moved at the same time, getting up from the bed and heading to the washroom.

They stood under the water together. Jack stood behind Sam, his arms wrapped around her, as the hot water beat against their still-sensitive skin.

They carefully dried each other off, still without speaking, then, arms wrapped around each other, headed back to bed.

Daniel lay awake, unable to sleep. It had been impossible to ignore what was happening in the master bedroom, as quiet as they had tried to be. He had lain quiet through it all, happy in the fact that his two best friends had finally found each other. He had watched them, both privately suffering for wanting the other. When Sam had gotten together with Pete, Daniel had known the wrongness of it, but Sam had seemed happy, who was he to interfere?

When it came to Jack and Kerry, as private as Jack had tried to be, Daniel knew better. Kerry was a young, beautiful woman, and Jack was trying to lose himself in her, to forget Sam. Apparently, Kerry had also known better.

A light tap interrupted his thoughts. The door creaked open to reveal a very large, pyjama-clad shadow.

"Teal'c?"

"Daniel Jackson. May I enter?"

Daniel sat up, fumbling for his glasses. "Sure. Turn on the light, willya?"

Teal'c did, and sat down. "Daniel Jackson, are you aware of what has transpired? Colonel O'Neill -"

Daniel cut him off. "I know, Teal'c, and it's about time too."

Teal'c inclined his head slightly. "Indeed." He stood up. "I will take my leave, then. You require more sleep. I will kalnorim. Though I no longer require it, I find that the action of it calms me."

"You sure?" Daniel asked. "I can't sleep, Teal'c. If you want to talk, I'm all ears."

He tried not to laugh as Teal'c moved to stare at the side of his head, a questioning look on his face.

"Let's start with 'catechisms'."

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The first rays of sunlight shining through the window woke Sam, and for a brief moment she couldn't remember where she was. The memory of the night before washed over her with a sweet warmth that brought a smile to her face. She lay still for a moment, letting the sun warm her face. She felt … new, as though somebody had come along and scrubbed the last shreds of doubt and sadness from her soul.

She rolled over to face Jack, who lay, still asleep, beside her. His face, normally so animated, was still and quiet in sleep. He seemed so vulnerable in this state, a Jack O'Neill no one ever saw.

As though he knew he was being watched, he opened his eyes and blinked sleepily at her.

"Mornin' Sam." He leaned over and kissed her, a long, lingering kiss that left her dizzy and aroused.

"Jack…" She reached for him, and he took her in his arms. She had such a passion for this man, and now that she was finally able to act on it, she felt insatiable.

Jack lost himself in her; the scent of her hair, the taste of her skin, it was so much more than he could have ever imagined. This was Sam, his 2IC. They'd faced certain death together, had buried people who mattered the world to them, but still come out strong, together, and now here they were, freeing eight years of pent-up passion, and it was more than either of them expected.

"For crying out loud, Carter," Jack wheezed, a bit of the old O'Neill humour resurfacing. "Are you trying to kill me?"

A sly wink was his only answer.

'We'd better get up. Daniel or Teal'c might try to wake me up, and if I'm not there…"

After a quick kiss, she slipped into her clothes and made a beeline for the spare bedroom.

Teal'c opened one eye, and, realising it was morning, stretched, and stood up. He and Daniel had talked until late, and, when Daniel had unexpectedly fallen asleep, Teal'c decided to kalnorim there, rather than go back to his own room. He saw that Daniel was still asleep, so he made his way out of the room, only to see Colonel Carter's door slip shut. A tiny smile graced his features. He was happy that his two friends had finally found each other.

Daniel woke slowly. He was still quite tired; it had been very late when he'd finally gone to sleep. He and Teal'c had talked of many things. Teal'c had spoken of Drey'auc and Rya'c, and even of Shan'auc, whose death had hurt him more than he would ever say. Ishta's name had brought a smile to his lips.

Daniel had talked of Sha'uri and their wonderful year together. Even for the pain her abduction and eventual death had brought him, he wouldn't have traded their brief time together for anything.

Looking around, Daniel saw that Teal'c had left the room before he'd awakened. He smiled. Try explaining THAT one. Why yes, Jack, Teal'c and I were having a sleepover.

He smiled at the thought of Jack and Sam. It was about damn time.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Jack informed General Hammond mere hours later. He'd taken it rather well.

Technically, Hammond wasn't his commanding officer anymore, but Jack still felt a certain obligation to him, a certain sense of duty that prompted him to seek out the General whenever he needed advice, and now was certainly one of those times.

"It's about damn time!"

Jack had prepared himself for a lecture, or a court martial, or SOMETHING. There Hammond stood, a smug smile on his face, seemingly enjoying Jack's discomfort.

He continued. "Jack, you've got to be the only two on this base who haven't seen this coming for the last…oh…eight years. I just say it's about damn time."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. He might be shooting himself in the foot here but…

"Isn't there regulations against this sort of thing?"

Hammond shook his head. "Not for you. Dammit, Jack, you just lost me a hundred bucks! We've had a pool on when you'd finally crack for the last seven years!" He looked crestfallen.

Jack's eyes lit up. "Reeeeeeally." He appeared to think for a moment. "Excuse me, George, there's somewhere I have to be." He shot out of his chair and was out the door like a shot before Hammond could open his mouth to respond. As the door swung shut, Hammond watched out the window as Jack sprinted to his truck, nearly knocking over an elderly man slowly pushing a broom across the asphalt.

Hammond ran out the door just in time to see Jack jump into his truck.

"Try to keep it quiet!" he yelled after him.

Allec Spoljarevic had been on duty since the early hours of morning, methodically sweeping and re-sweeping the parking lot in front of the small diner, same as he had done each weekday for more years than he could remember. His shift was over in a mere 15 minutes, and he was looking forward to going home to his wife.

He was slammed into from the side by what felt like a slab of granite. Recovering his bearing, he followed the running man with his eyes for a moment, muttering a curse under his breath.

The man who had hit him jumped into his truck. As soon as the door was closed, he seemed to fly into a temper, beating his hands against the wheel, honking the horn, and yelling aloud.

"YEAAAAAH!!!! ABOUT TIME!"

Jack could hardly restrain himself. He leaned on the horn and hollered aloud.

Eight years, eight frickin' years he'd waited for this; it was about damned time!

Calming himself, Jack started the truck and drove away from the diner. He didn't have to ask himself where he was going.

TWO YEARS LATER

Colonel Samantha Carter sighed, a loud, pained sound of frustration. There was only one consistency in this line of work: Paperwork. It never ended.

"Reason for leave of absence."

For crying out loud. Even after two years, it still felt wrong to come out and say it. Sure, it hadn't been easy when Jack had relocated to Washington, but they saw each other as often as possible. Their feelings had only grown deeper as their time together increased. When the time was right, Sam was going to move to Washington, to be with him.

As she pondered her answer to the question before her, Sam thought that maybe the right time was closer than she thought.

She picked up the pen.

"Reason for leave of absence" still remained empty. She wrote her answer quickly. A small smile traced across her face as she tried to imagine the look on Jack's face when she told him.

Her answer, written in small block letters, smiled up at her.

"Maternity Leave."

"Pregnant?"

Sam wasn't sure what to make of his expression. For once he wasn't smirking; his expression fell somewhere between shock and wonder.

"You're pregnant?"

She nodded. "Yes, Jack. I am. I went to my family doctor, not Doctor Lam. I figured the less people knew the better, or at least before you did."

He was smiling, but she could see the troubled look in his eyes. She put her arm around his waist. The Jack O'Neill she'd served with would have never let her see him like this, but he'd let down his guard some in the two years they'd been together.

When he spoke, it was in such a low tone that she had to strain to hear him.

"After Charlie died, Sam, I told myself, never again. I could never go through that again, losing a child. It would be too much."

She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her.

"Until the very moment you told me you were pregnant, that's what I believed. Now, though, I don't know that that's the case."

He took her face in his hands.

"I will be happy, so happy to be the father of this child." He swallowed heavily. "And I swear, I'll never let anything happen to her, or him, no matter what. Oh Sam." He wrapped his arms around her.

When they drew apart, they were both smiling.

"So," Sam asked. "What will we name her?"

Jack pondered for a moment.

"If it's a boy, maybe we could name him Jacob, after your father. And if it's a girl…" he trailed off. "Nah, it's silly."

"What?" she pressed.

He thought for a moment. "I was thinking, maybe we could name her Jolinar. It's not exactly your ordinary, run of the mill name, but I thought, with what you and she went through-"

She cut him off by putting a finger over his lips. "I think it's perfect."

Pulling her close, Jack put a hand on her stomach, and they both smiled.

"Jolinar." Jack said. 'That's a beautiful name."

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Sis

"God, I feel like I swallowed a watermelon!"

Sam groaned as she eased her nine-months-pregnant self out of her chair. "They always make this sound so easy, but it is SO not. This kid's tearing my insides to shreds!"

"Don't worry, Sam." Daniel put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "People do this all the time. By the way, WHY are you still working? Are you trying to prove something, or what?"

"No," she glared. "But if I just sit here and wait, it's going to feel like years before Junior's ready to be born. This way, I-"

She stopped, a strange look passing over her face, a cross between horror and relief. Slowly she looked down. A small pool of liquid was gathering around her feet. It widened steadily as she stood, motionless, watching it.

"Holy buckets!"

Jack drove as fast as he could through the busy afternoon traffic. There way no WAY he would allow himself to be late for THIS. As he drove, he prayed that the police were not out in full force; the last thing he needed was to be pulled over at this point.

He found himself breathing easier when the guarded entrance to Cheyenne Mountain came into view. He flashed his ID card to the airman on duty, flew through check-in, hurriedly presenting his handprint and scrawling a barely readable "J. O'Neill" on the clipboard before bolting for the elevators. It seemed to take forever as the giant metal box inched its way down into the bowels of the complex.

The elevator ground to a halt, and Jack nearly yelled in frustration as the doors slid open to allow Dr. Jackson to enter.

"Hi Jack."

"Daniel," he growled. "If I'm late I am SO gonna kick your ass!"

"Oh," Daniel looked nonchalant, and then as though the idea had just occurred to him. "Sam's having her baby, hope we get there in time, huh?"

It was all Jack could do not to strangle him.

Nothing in her Air Force training could have ever prepared her for this. The pain was worse than anything she'd ever felt before; a tearing, pulling sensation that seemed to rip through her entire body with each contraction. Suddenly, without warning, the feeling changed, became an unbearable need to bear down.

"OK," Dr. Lam came into view. "Time to push, Sam."

She bore down, feeling as through she were being torn apart.

"Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!" It was torn from her lips, where was he now? She needed him so badly to be here with her!

Jack bolted into the room just as she cried out his name. He ran to her side, took her hand in his and felt her nails dig into his flesh.

"Oh, God," she cried, "I don't think I can do this!"

"You can," he told her. "I can see the head, you're nearly there!"

Sam could feel it now, a drawing, pulling, tearing sensation as the baby's head crested, then slid out of her. A final push, drawing an agonised cry from Sam, brought forth the infant, followed quickly by a mass of bloody tissue which Dr. Lam quickly wrapped up in the receiving blanket, to be disposed of later.

The baby was taken away and quickly cleaned, and before they knew it, Dr. Lam was bringing the blanket-wrapped infant back to them. A tiny cry issued from the child, and Dr. Lam smiled as she handed the infant over.

"Jack, Sam, say hello to your daughter."

They drew the blanket back together, gazing at the face of their newborn daughter.

"Hello, Jolinar," Sam whispered. Looking over at Jack, she saw that he was smiling.

After showing Sam how to feed the child, she left them to be alone. They looked down together, at the child taking its first life-giving colostrum from her mother's breast, and smiled.

"She's beautiful," Sam said, and Jack realised she was crying, tears running slowly down her face. She looked up at him, smiling through her tears. "We did this, Jack. We made her. I love her so much already, and we just met!"

He slipped an arm around her, drew her close. "I love you, Sam. I always have."

He drew away, looked deeply into her dark rimmed eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

Jolinar Charlene O'Neill bounced around excitedly, her little white dress floating around her. No child could be as happy as she, for today, her Mommy and Daddy were getting married. At a year and a half old, Joli had her mother's bright blond hair, done in curls for the occasion, and her father's deep grey eyes. She was a bright child who questioned everything around her. The only sadness in her life was that she had no surviving grandparents, but her family was so large that she never wanted for love and attention.

Without any warning, her Auntie Vala swooped in, catching her mid-bounce.

"Joli, you silly girl," she said, "Where have you been? It's about to start."

Joli loved listening to her Auntie Vala speak. She had such a pretty, musical voice. Everything came out sounding so pretty. She rested herself against Vala, playing with her pretty black hair. Everything about Auntie Vala was pretty. She always made Joli happy.

Vala carried the child into the chapel, hurrying to find their seats. She placed Joli down in between her and Daniel, who smiled over at her as she settled herself. Resting a hand on her not-so-flat stomach, she smiled. Soon enough, she'd have her own little one to take care of, and this time no one could take it from her.

Up front, the minister cleared his throat, and began.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today, to join these two in Holy Matrimony…"

TBC…


End file.
